


Pretty Please?

by Forgotten_Peggy



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/F, Fake Dating, High School AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-07
Updated: 2017-05-07
Packaged: 2018-10-28 17:38:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10836099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Forgotten_Peggy/pseuds/Forgotten_Peggy
Summary: When Romeo won't stop asking Sarah out, she turns to Katherine for help.





	Pretty Please?

**Author's Note:**

> The world needs more newsbians so I wrote this. It is entirely unedited, so I apologise in advance for that. I also don't know how American schools work.

"Kath, can I ask you something?" Sarah flopped onto her friend's bed, her actions seeming casual, but her voice giving away her nervous tone.

"Sure, what's up?" Katherine asked, looking up from her book. The nervousness of Sarah's voice concerned her, so she put down her book and sat down next to Sarah on her bed. "Everything okay?"

"You know Romeo, right? Davey's friend?" By now, Katherine was just confused.

“Yeah, why?" She and Sarah often hung out with her friend's brother and his friends, and their whole group was pretty close.

"He keeps asking me out, and it's getting kind of annoying," Sarah confessed. "Like why doesn't he just get with Specs? They're already basically in love,"

"I think that's why," said Katherine, and Sarah looked up at her in confusion. "Why he's asking you out," she clarified. "I'm pretty sure he and Race made a bet. Race said Romeo would get with Specs by the end of the month, so Romeo has been trying to prove him wrong by trying to get you to go out with him, I guess. I'm sure he means well, why don't you just say no?"

"I kind of feel bad, he's so sweet, and I know he means well, I just keep telling him I'm busy," Sarah said.

“Do you want me to talk to him? What'd you want to ask me?" Katherine didn't like to be pushy, but she was growing genuinely concerned about her friend.

"Yeah, that's the thing, he asked me out again today, at school, but this time, I kind of... panicked,"

"What does that mean?"

"I kind of said... I told him I was dating someone," said Sarah. Katherine's eyes widened at her friend's statement. In the two months since the Jacobs siblings had shown up at the high school, Sarah hadn't talked about boys much, or girls either for the matter, but Katherine had assumed she was straight. Even though Katherine had accepted that as fact (or so she told herself), she still shuddered a little internally at the thought of Sarah with a boyfriend.

"W-what? Who?" Sarah could tell Katherine was feigning indifference, for some reason completely unknown to her, but she decided not to question it, instead focusing on what she was about to ask.

"I didn't say anyone, I just turned and ran off," confessed Sarah. "Now I need to find someone to pretend to date," Katherine began to form an idea of where this conversation was heading, and it confused her to no end. "I can't just pretend to be dating any of the guys, he'd already know about it, so..."

"So?"

"KathcanyoupleasepretendtobemygirlfriendpleasejustuntilRomeoleavesmealone?" Katherine may have had a vague idea it was coming but it still hit her like a strong gust of air that happened to smell like Sarah's hair. _Get a grip Katherine._ “Pretty please?” Sarah added, when Katherine didn’t reply.

"Umm, but, aren't you straight?" Katherine regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

Sarah looked taken aback for a second, before she regained her composure. "Yeah, I am, I just don't know any guys I could pretend to date. Plus, I mean, if Romeo thinks I'm a... a lesbian, he might leave me alone,"

Katherine tried to ignore the feeling of her heart dropping in her chest at the confirmation that her best friend and secret crush was straight. She blinked a few times, still trying to process that this was, in fact, a conversation she was having, in real life.

"But if you don't want to that's totally fine I know you're like actually bi and I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything-"

"Sarah," First of all, Katherine had to stop Sarah from rambling, or she would spiral, she knew that much. Sarah stopped short. "Sure, I'll fake date you, just until the end of the month, when Romeo'll probably get with Specs and leave you alone,"

"Thanks so much, Kath, I owe you one. No, scrap that, I owe you like six,"

"It's no problem, really, just no intense making out, okay?" She laughed in an attempt to lighten the now slightly tense mood.

"Whatever you say babe," Sarah laughed as Katherine sarcastically blew her a kiss. This wouldn't be too hard, right?

* * *

Katherine was wrong. Hiding her true feelings for her (straight) best friend normally was hard, but when Sarah grabbed her hand and kissed her cheek when they met at school the next morning, she wasn't sure if she could last the whole month.

"Morning babe," Katherine greeted, smiling, keeping her eyes locked on Sarah's. She didn't want to see the reactions of the rest of her friends. Katherine looked up slowly, knowing all eyes would be on her and Sarah. Romeo looked between them, his mouth open in shock, while Specs tried to stifle his laughter. Jack didn't even bother to hide his laughter, looking at Romeo's reaction, while Davey just looked confused. The rest of their friends were nowhere to be found, probably late to school as usual, or making out in some closet, if it was Spot and Race.

"What? Haven't we all got class to get to?" Sarah snapped everyone out of their subsequent reactions. When all of their friends had left, Sarah grinned, winking at Katherine and walking off. Well, not all of their friends had left. Davey, who had his first class with Katherine, just stood to the side, looking as confused as before.

The rest of the day continued much the same, Sarah and Katherine acting more and more coupley - holding hands when they were together, sitting a bit closer than usual at lunch, all the while exchanging knowing glances. Katherine was uncomfortable at first, not wanting to go too overboard, as was Sarah, but by the end of lunch, as Katherine rested her head on Sarah's shoulder, they were comfortable, and content.

Katherine walked home from school that day with a small smile still on her face. She sat down at her desk and grabbed out her phone to text Sarah, even though they’d just seen each other at school.

 **Hey babe.** No. Katherine quickly deleted the draft message. _This isn’t real_ , she reminded herself, shaking her head.

 **Hey.** She actually sent the message this time. **I think we convinced Romeo.**

 **Yeah.** Sarah’s reply came almost instantly. **His reaction was hilarious though.**

**Omg he looked like a fish, all day.**

**Maybe this’ll make him and Specs get together faster, so we can stop fake dating.**

**Yeah.** Katherine switched off her phone and turned to her textbook, scanning the questions she had to answer for homework. She got through approximately two questions before her phone beeped with a new message.

**David: Okay, Kath, we need to talk.**

**About what? Everything okay?** What was it with the Jacobs siblings and concerning her with vague statements?

 **You tell me. Answer my call.** As she read the message, Davey’s call came through, and Katherine answered it quickly.

“What’s up?” She greeted.

“You tell me. What is going on with you and Sarah?” Davey asked. _Oh._

“Umm, well you see, Romeo wouldn’t stop asking her out, so umm, I guess we’re fake dating? Just for a few weeks,” Hearing herself say it out loud, Katherine was once again reminded of what an absurd idea this was.

“Are you sure that’s the best idea, considering, you know, your huge crush on my sister…” If Katherine had a drink, she would have spit it out.

“Wha-what? I don’t have- How did you know that?” Katherine spluttered. She didn’t want anyone to know, let alone Sarah’s brother, the person she was closest to. Plus, Davey wasn’t normally the best at noticing things, so if he knew, it must be obvious. _Crap._

“Jack told me,” Davey confessed. _Oh, that makes a lot more sense_. Jack knew her better than anyone, so of course he’d know, but he was also not the best at keeping secrets… secret. Not when it came ot his boyfriend, at least. “But today, it didn’t look like you were fake dating, at least not to you. I just don’t want either of you to get hurt,”

“I know, Dave, I didn’t want to do this, I’m just doing it for her, and when she wants to stop, we’ll stop. I know she’s straight, I know I don’t ever have a chance with her, but the last thing I’d ever want to do is hurt her,” confessed Katherine, for the first time admitting to her crush out loud.

“Oh, Kath,” Davey said. “Well, good luck, I won’t tell anyone. But if you need to pine, please go to Jack, not me. Seriously, I do not need to hear about that, okay?”

“Deal,” Katherine smiled.

* * *

“But Jackkk, what do I do?” Katherine had been pining over Sarah to Jack for their whole free period, and still now as they sat down with their food in the cafeteria.

“Just keep fake dating, but don’t get too weird about it since you know, you’re in love with her and all,” Jack replied.

“You are literally useless, why do I even talk to you?” Katherine asked, half talking to herself.

“You love me,” Jack laughed.

“Shut up, we dated for like two weeks in freshman year,” Both Jack and Katherine had agreed that them dating was not either of their best decisions. They still stayed friends since then, and joked about it now that they were older and Jack had realized he was very much in love with Davey.

“You just keep fake dating your crush and pining to me, and soon enough you’ll fake break up then you can just… keep pining to me,” Jack said.

“You are the worst at advice, but I’m going to leave it now, because here comes Romeo and Mush,” Katherine quickly said.

“What’re you guys talking about?” Mush asked, sitting down.

“Nothing,” Katherine said quickly. “Just…. School stuff,”

“Whatever you say,” said Romeo, skepticism clear in his voice.

Thankfully, Sarah and Davey chose that time to show up. “Hey babe,” Sarah greeted her fake girlfriend, kissing her head. Katherine smiled and greeted Sarah in return, not noticing Romeo looking between them. Sarah and Davey sat down on either side of Katherine, and they were soon joined by Spot, Race, Specs, and the rest of their group. Throughout their conversations, none of them noticed Romeo looking off into the distance, deep in thought. At least, not until he spoke up.

“I don’t believe you,” said Romeo, interrupting whatever story Race was telling.

“What?” Davey asked, voicing the group’s collective confusion. Sarah and Katherine made worried eye contact, but Katherine gave Sarah a reassuring smile.

“I don’t believe that you’re actually dating,” Romeo said, looking between Katherine and Sarah.

“Wh-what? Why wouldn’t you believe that we’re dating? We are, aren’t we babe?” Sarah looked at Katherine.

“Yeah, yep,” Katherine confirmed, grabbing Sarah’s hand and holding it up for Romeo to see.

“If you were together, then why am I at least 36 percent sure I heard Katherine pining to Jack earlier?” Romeo asked. Sarah looked to Katherine, eyes wide in confusion. Everyone else was looking to her expectantly. Katherine knew she had to think quickly.

“Will this convince you?” Katherine asked. She turned to face Sarah and hesitated for only a second before pressing her lips to Sarah’s. Sarah froze in shock, and Katherine wrapped her arm around Sarah’s neck in an attempt to prove that this kiss was not just one way. She pulled away after a few, year-long seconds, and looked at Sarah apologetically.

“See?” Sarah said, her voice only wavering slightly. Romeo shrugged, and the rest of their friends continued their conversations, except Jack and Davey, who exchanged a concerned look. “I’m just going to go to the bathroom before class,” Sarah excused herself, getting up and walking briskly away.

Katherine and Davey exchanged a look, before Katherine excused herself, quickly following Sarah to the bathroom. Katherine pushed open the door to the bathroom, internally punching herself. Why did she do that? She knew Sarah was straight, that they were only fake dating, and now she just made Sarah hate her.

“Sarah? Sarah, please, just talk to me,” Katherine begged, kneeling down next to where Sarah sat, her back against the wall. Sarah looked away, refusing to make eye contact or acknowledge the single tear that had escaped her eye. “I’m sorry,”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. I just… I can’t do this anymore Kath,” Sarah confessed.

“That’s okay Sarah, really, we’ll just tell the guys it didn’t work out,” Katherine comforted Sarah.

“It really didn’t did it,” said Sarah. Katherine smiled a little, grabbing her friend’s hand, this time as a sign of comfort. “Kath… What did Romeo mean, when he said he heard you pining to Jack?”

“I, I just… It’s nothing, Sarah,” Katherine smiled sadly.

“Please, tell me, you can tell me anything, right?” Asked Sarah.

 “Well,” Katherine sighed. “You’re gonna hate me for this,” she mumbled to herself, mentally preparing for the worst. “I… I know we’re friends, but I like you Sarah, as... well as more than that. But I know you’re straight and you’d never even like me like that anyway-“

“Kath. Katherine,” Sarah got Katherine to stop rambling only by using her full name.

“Let’s just pretend this whole thing never happened,” Katherine suggested quietly.

“If that’s what you want, okay,” Sarah said. “But just let me say, I didn’t want to end this because you kissed me, well maybe, but not for the reason you think. I was… I was scared Kath,”

“Scared of what?” Katherine pressed softly.

“Scared of falling for my best friend,” Sarah whispered. Katherine all but had to stop her brain from exploding.

“W-what? I thought you were straight,”

“So did I,” confessed Sarah. “But after yesterday, and today, I started to realize why I never liked any guys at school, or, ever really,”

“So what now?” Katherine asked.

“I’m not sure, but how about we start with this?” Sarah suggested, and Katherine only had a second to be confused before Sarah pressed her lips to hers.

They only broke apart when the bell rang, signaling the start of their next class. “Come on,” Katherine said. “We can continue this later,”

**Author's Note:**

> Please kudos and comment so I know if this is any good or not. My tumblr is forgotten-peggy


End file.
